Bombshells and ticking clock in Sabah

THEIR baju Melayu were of a matching powder blue and they heaped praises on each other in their speeches at the iftar gathering in Tuaran, Sabah.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had spent the afternoon at meetings, some of which were official and some of a more private nature.

Anwar’s speech at the iftar event was almost like a religious lecture but he wrapped up by praising Hajiji as a moderate leader and for the political stability in the state. Hajiji commended Anwar for his leadership and for restoring the country’s global image.

Both leaders sidestepped the bribery video, which has been the talk of the town.

All seemed fine but those familiar with Hajiji thought the Chief Minister seemed a little tense whereas Anwar did not linger around and flew off after breaking fast and maghrib prayers.

The state-level iftar event was quite elaborate with thousands of attendees and many were hoping for some hints from the two top-guns on the looming state election.

The last state election was in September 2020 and the window to call for fresh polls is growing smaller.

The prevailing view is that polls are unlikely during the syawal month of April or the month-long harvest festival in May, thus, leaving only a slim window in June, July or August.

“The situation is urgent. Time is running out, they need to decide soon,” said a Sabah Umno figure who was watching the body language of the top leaders from a nearby table during the iftar event.

Umno is not part of the ruling GRS or Gabungan Rakyat Sabah headed by Hajiji. The party is actually the opposition alongside Parti Warisan in Sabah.

However, it is an open secret by now that Anwar wants Umno to be part of the unity government team in the state election.

Hajiji’s perceived resistance to Umno is thought to be a point of friction between him and the Prime Minister.

“How is the PM going to campaign if he is standing on one stage and (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) is there on the opposition stage? They are partners in Putrajaya and they are very close,” said the above Umno leader.

GRS information chief and assistant state minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai said the Chief Minister would need the consensus of the eight parties in his government to decide on this.

“The leaders in GRS believe Sabah-based parties must be dominant to safeguard Sabah's rights and interests and that parties from outside were too dominant in the past,” said Joniston.

The “Sabah for Sabahans” sentiment is quite deep-seated in the two Kadazandusun parties, namely, PBS which is led by Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam and Sabah STAR headed by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

Sabah’s politics is complicated beyond words. There is too much bad blood and too little trust going on because people who used to be on the same side are now on opposite sides.

Politics in the state has been filled with intrigues and marked by betrayals, with politicians switching alliances as though they are crossing from one side of the street to the other. They treat politics like a game of musical chairs where the music never stops.

Hajiji himself was an Umno man before he crossed over to Bersatu. He then quit Bersatu and is now GRS chairman. He also survived a coup attempt in 2023 by Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.

Beneath the gentle demeanour and shy smile is a shrewd survivor. The fact is that Hajiji would have been finished had Anwar not defused the political coup by directing Pakatan Harapan assemblymen to prop up the GRS government. He owes that much to Anwar.

“Anwar saved Hajiji from unemployment,” quipped the above Sabah Umno figure.

Hajiji is in a fix. Will he respect his Sabah partners’ resistance to Umno or will he give in to Anwar’s insistence to bring Umno into the team?

Umno can help GRS tackle the Muslim belt on the east coast where Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal is immensely popular. Umno is also stronger than Pakatan which won only seven seats in the last state election compared to 14 by Umno.

But the GRS partners are confident they can win big without Umno and they want to contest all 73 state seats.

This is despite the “skandal lombong” (mining permits bribery scandal) that has rocked the state government.

It is still the topic of kopitam chatter and the Hakka-speaking Chinese in Kota Kinabalu have been telling opposition politicians, “mm su kon, yan gan gai” (no need to see, sure win), in reference to the videos.

There is also an “infrastructure crisis” where dry taps and poor water quality have become commonplace and taken a toll on businesses and daily life. Folks in Sandakan have taken to social media to complain about “teh O” from their taps which is “not sweet but salty” reportedly because of seawater seepage.

Power outages have added to the woes while the devastating floods in recent months have further messed up roads that were already in bad shape.

In short, there is no feel-good factor with just months to go before the big day.

Meanwhile, Warisan, the key opposition party, is waiting in the wings. Warisan’s Shafie, at 67, has not lost his fire and is still as charismatic and energetic as ever. The former chief minister has been active throughout the fasting month.

The latest bombshell came a few days ago when the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission announced a new round of probes into the politicians named in the bribery videos. Is this Putrajaya’s signal to Hajiji and his boys that it is our way or the highway.

It is not surprising the Chief Minister looks rather stressed out because the clock is ticking for him to seek another term.

The stakes are equally high for the Prime Minister who needs a favourable outcome in Sabah to bolster his own quest for a second term in power.

The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own